Chapter 22

Wheeler/ Linka

Linka staggered out of Greg's apartment, barely able to balance her steps, she was holding her black shoes in her hands, she runs off balance to the elevator, afraid that Greg will follow her and try to take her back to his apartment to complete what he intends to do to her will, when she reaches the elevator she loses her balance and falls on The ground, but she was able to press the button at least, she was feeling dizzy as if she was in the sea, her vision is still not completely clear, she remembers that she was drunk before, but she did not suffer from these symptoms after she woke up, the last time was a long time ago, maybe at a raucous prom university party her date was Wheeler at that time.

Finally, the elevator opened. She pulled herself inside it, with a trembling hand she presses letter G. When the elevator was descending, she leaned her head against the wall and started crying, not believing what just had happened. She tried to stand up and regain her balance. She put on her shoes

When she was outside the building, she did not believe that she was finally able to get out, and as if a prey managed to escape from the hunter, she ran to the street looking for any taxi that could take her home, the dawn breeze was cold, and the air started moving her disheveled hair,the street was completely empty of pedestrians or of cars, she decided to walk a little away from that building that witnessed the most horrific event in her life, with heavy steps, and weeping eyes, she was walking aimlessly. All she wanted was to get as far away as she could, her thoughts were scattered, her eyes blurred, she can barely see the street in front of her.

She was afraid that anyone would see her in this horrific condition, or that one of the thieves would see her and kidnap her since she was alone in the street. she looked around, there are some restaurants and coffee shops but they are still closed, then she saw a yellow car coming from far and waved her hand, she wished it was a taxi, her vision is not completely clear yet. When the car approached, she thanked God, that it was a taxi

Where are you going, madam?""

Linka quickly got into the car and gave the driver her address, but her words were a little stammered

Are you okay madam""

Yes, I'm is fine, but please quickly take me to the place I asked you for, please quickly.""

The taxi driver noticed that she was afraid, especially as she was wearing an evening dress.

"Do you need any help, madam? Is someone following you". as he moves the car and goes on the road?

No, no, please, just hurry up." She looks to the back."

Linka tried to calm herself down and think straight, but there were so many thoughts and voices interfering inside her head, there was so much fear, shock and anger at the same time.

"What a wretch, how can he take advantage of a drunk woman, I'm no better than Wheeler... I'm also a cheater... After I got drunk, the first thing I did was jump into the arms of the first man I met, no... I'm not a cheater, I broke up with Wheeler,

... He told me he was my friend... He said I could count on him. I can't believe he did this to me, Wheeler was right..." She remembered everything Wheeler had said about Greg and how he was warning her of him, she put her hand on her face and she remembered the night before.

""no... I... I wasn't drunk!... I didn't even finish the wine glass... I remember it so vividly... I remember suddenly I couldn't open my eyes or feel anything... Oh my God. ...no impossible ... he assaulted me" She raised her head from her hands, shocked, is it possible that this is really what happened to her?

Madam. we have arrived. Is this the building you meant?""

Oh thanks ." And the thoughts are still running through her head"

""Oh boshy moy...I can't believe I did that. All my life I've been a straight girl. I've only been to one man. The man I love. I've been loyal all my life. I keep my heart and my body to him only. And now I'm turning into a whore?... sleeps with anyone in front of her." She gets out of the taxi after she paid to him and runs to the main door.

Just seconds after Linka entered her building, as soon as the taxi was on its way, Wheeler and Kwame came in Wheeler's car and looked at Linka's car that she parked yesterday at the entrance to the building.

"Did you see, I told you, she sleeps quietly in her apartment, and you're here driving me crazy with your stupid dreams" Kwami said as Wheeler was looking at Linka's car. But his heart is not reassured, he does not feel that she is well

I'm going to her." Kwame grabbed Wheeler's arm and pulled him towards him tightly"

""Are you crazy? What are you going to tell her? I was dreaming of you. Remember, man, you're just a cheater to her now, you'd better wait until all the evidence of your innocence is there."

"she's not okay Kwami, I'm sure of that" he says angrily"

""Yes, she's not feeling well from two days ago because she thinks you cheated on her, that's all... Look, where else could she be, you know Linka. She is not a night person"

Wheeler looked at the main door of the building that had been his home for two years, feeling deep sadness and pain

""Come on my friend, things will get better I'm sure you'll get her back I promise, let's go and sleep a little, we are very tired."

Linka reached her apartment and quickly closed the door behind her.

""No...that's impossible...No." she was screaming and Tears were running down her cheeks, she was feeling ashamed, she knew she could file a report against Greg, but she's just too scared, who's going to believe her?

What will newspapers and magazines write about?

Greg is a well-known and famous person in the business world and of course you will try

the Journalism to Knowing what happened, it is also so possible to see pictures of her on the covers of magazines and newspapers... And Wheeler... What will Wheeler's reaction be? That his girlfriend became a whore? She sleeps in the arms of any man? She's just not that kind of girl

She was feeling disgusted with herself and her body, the smell of her hair filled with the smell of cigarettes and she hates cigarettes and their smell, her body smells different, it's the smell of Greg's body, and now she can't stand it.

She ran to the bathroom in a hurry, opened the shower, let the water run over her body. She really wished that soap and water could erase what had happened to her.

She took off her wet clothes nervously and threw them angrily into the corner of the bathroom, not believing that she had been naked in his hands last night. She hated herself, grabbed the loofah and shower gel, started trying to rub herself hard.

She wants to erase every trace of Greg on her until her soft skin turns red. She washed her hair several times, until she felt that she was almost suffocating from the water vapor. She needed to breathe. She came out of the shower quickly and covered her body with a bathrobe. She couldn't stand looking at her body now.

She stood by the faucet sadly looking at herself in the mirror, she hated the image in the reflection so much, she had never felt so shameful before, so she looked at Wheeler's toothbrush and the shaving cream he was using, she remembered that he did not take them with him because she had locked herself in the bathroom that day, and she told him to take the rest of his things before she come out

she grabbed his toothbrush, looked at it and sobbed, as if embracing the toothbrush in her hands, "If you had been here Yankee, everything that happened to me last night wouldn't have happened... Wheeler I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...I love you ...I love you so much, Wheeler...You are the love of my life...Please forgive me, I didn't mean to cheat on you, It all happened against my will...You were right, I wasn't supposed to trust Greg, I wasn't supposed to go out with him. For dinner. " then she fell on the bathroom floor crying

After a few minutes she gathered her strength, and got up from the ground, when she looked at herself in the mirror again, she noticed that there were bruises or spots on her neck, she examined the bruises well with her hands, then looked at her chest, and her breasts, more swollen bruises, she took off the bathrobe in a hurry to see her body full of bruises and bite marks, her shoulders, her stomach, her thighs, even her buttocks, "What a beast, what kind of monster does this when... Oh my Boshy moy!"

Linka had a hard day alone in her apartment, crumpled on the sofa, remembering what had happened to her in the restaurant, how it was so normal, and how it turned upside down when she opened her eyes.

But she blocked him Greg tried to call her several times that day, but she didn't answer,

From all the apps, texts, and calls, she was determined to forget about it and take it out of her life entirely.

In the evening she collected the clothes she was wearing when she went out with Greg, and went to the garden where Some young men set a barrel on fire, throwing things that remind them of painful things. She took with her even the shoes and the handbag she was wearing. She looked at her clothes while they were burning in front of her, trying to get rid of the memories of this night and move forward on her life without a man

hi wheeler""

"Hey Gi, how are you?"

"I'm fine, listen, I wanted to ask you about Linka, she was very upset a few days ago and then she took leave and she still hasn't come, I tried to talk to her a couple of days ago but she wasn't ready for it I guess, I'm very worried about her"

Oh Gi, what do you want me to say" Wheeler was sad he was going to tell Gi the story "

Is there any problem between you two?""

We... we broke up three days ago, and it's not because me, but I can't blame her either""

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, but what happened? What do you mean?"

"It's a long story Gi, there's a girl who claimed she knew me, and that I was cheating on Linka with her"

"Ohh….did you ?"

"Of course no Gi, I didn't cheat on her when I was a teenager to cheat on her now when I'm mature "

"So what's the problem, why didn't you tell this to Linka?"

"I told her, but she didn't believe me, because...because there are pictures of me and the other girl"

so you cheated on her. ""

"No…no, this is the problem, these pictures are fake, I traveled out of town to do an investigation report in the phone company for this reason, there is someone who wants to ruin what is between me and Linka"

Me, I really don't know Wheeler It's hard to believe""

"I know, but I swear I didn't cheat on her, please talk to her, don't let anger control her, she's a computer programmer, she's supposed to know these things, and here in the police department we're also looking for the girl through civil records, I'll prove to her that I'm innocent"

"I really don't know what to say, Wheeler, well I'll try to talk to her after her vacation is over and she's back at work, although she's hard to convince. You know her , I can't promise you anything honestly"